Being an Understudy
Being an understudy can be a daunting thing when you join a company in the rehearsal room for the first time. You know your characters, have different highlighted scripts and notes of each actors track, yet you are wondering if you are ever going to do a good job on stage (that’s if you ever have to perform). However working with a group that is as welcoming, facilitating and amazing as Face Front has made my process of an understudy process much easier.
Hello, my name is Grace and I am an actor working with the Face Front team on their tour of Whisper Me Happy Ever After around primary schools in North London. Whilst the play tackles the tough subject of domestic abuse through the lives of a brother and sister, it is met with a reflective and positive message, allowing children to be educated and feel they can speak out against violence in their homes and make a change.
As an understudy, it is my job to make sure I am ready to go on stage if an actor is unable to perform for whatever reason. Sometimes with a script and sometimes without, depending on how many lines I have but being an understudy is so much more than just learning lines. I must remember what props to use, where they are located and where each actor stands and moves on stage. With this project I understudy 3 roles and I am finding the process and absolute joy! This will be my third year working with Face Front. I was previously an understudy for all roles on the national tour of It’s My Move and Actor/Musical Director for the site specific show Hinterlands- Tales of the River Ramblers in 2021.
I want to say “Break a leg” to the fabulous Whisper Me team and I mean this in the nicest way possible… that hopefully you won’t see me out there with you but I’ll be ready if you need me!